Matters of Taste

Tops in Travel; My Favorite Trips of 2009

Before we get any farther into 2010, I want to add one last “Best of 2009” list to those I posted last week.

In a year of exciting travel destinations, inviting hotels, great food, and high-drama adventures, these three experiences stood out. Maybe one will be the inspiration for your “best-ever” vacation in 2010.

 HUT-TO-HUT HIKING IN THE DOLOMITES

Don’t be fooled by the term “hut.” The small mountain inns that greet hikers at the end of a day’s hike in the Dolomite mountains of northern Italy are captivating places, with drop-dead-gorgeous views, delicious local cuisine, hot showers, poufy down comforters on the beds, and a pervasive aura of accomplishment and camaraderie in the bar.

With two friends, my husband and I hiked the Grödnertal (also called Gardena Valley) and the Tiersertal (Tiers Valley), meandering through vast alpine meadows that begged us to sing a few bars of “The Hills are Alive,” and inching, with held breath, along narrow paths that seemed to float thousands of feet above the valley floor.

Some routes pampered us with a gondola (there’s skiing here in the winter) to the top of a peak. In St. Ulrich, a battered single chair lift, built some 40 years ago, whisked us to Raschötz Hütte, one of our favorite overnight spots. (Most huts are reachable only by foot or by some type of chairlift.)

During the days we took in the breathtaking scenery of towering granite peaks and the gentler SeiserAlm, a vast plateau dotted with spring flowers. By night, we played cards in cozy, wood-panelled bars called stübe and ate hearty pork and elegant pasta dishes made by the inn’s owner. Each morning we were awakened by the clanging of the bells hanging around the necks of local cows.

After four nights of hütte (a bargain at about $100 per couple per night for room, breakfast and dinner), we landed at Cyprianerhof, a family-run inn that was recently enlarged to include stylish suites and a state-of-the-art spa. We had carried (small) backpacks with all our belongings for several days; now we rejoiced in the luxury of Cyprianerhof (where the car we rented in Vienna waited for us, complete with a change of clothes, computers, etc.)

Many international companies, such as Backroads, offer guided tours of the area. However, it's easy to book huts on-line, and most paths are well-enough marked to find your way without a guide. One caveat: If the hiking map shows red dots or red crosses instead of a dotted red line, serious climbing is involved and a guide is a good idea. 

MEADOWOOD NAPA VALLEY

I’m always amazed when people who brag about the number of wineries they visited on a trip to California’s wine country,  kinda like gunfighters notching their belts. The way I see it, I can taste all the wines I want at home. I cannot bike Dry Creek Valley, take a mineral bath in funky Calistoga, stroll Bothe State Park, browse St. Helena’s cool boutiques, or commune with the spirit of Jack London at his original homestead. 

In October, I attended the Culinary Institute of America’s (CIA) annual Worlds of Flavor conference, a mind-boggling array of seminars, tastings, demonstrations and lectures that’s open to professional cooks, restaurateurs, manufacturers and journalists.

When I wasn’t in a scheduled class, my husband and I experienced the wine country the way I think it should be experienced…up close and personal.

Home base was Meadowood Napa Valley, an idyllic resort set into a leafy hollow just off the Silverado Trail. A member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux hotel collection, Meadowood manages to combine the ultimate in luxury and pampering with a low-key sensibility and inviting earthiness.

Romantic rooms and suites, with sitting areas and fireplaces, are located in cottages scattered throughout the property. The award-winning Restaurant – recipient of two Michelin stars – is located in a stunning lodge that melts into the forest behind it.  There’s golf, croquet, tennis and more, but my favorite way to burn off the calories from the superlative eateries in the area is one the resort’s five-mile walking path that swoops through the woods rimming the resort. The rolling trail, perfumed by pine and flowers, is dense and silent,  yet a walker can bail out at any time and be back in a cluster of bungalows.

From Meadowood, it’s a flat and easy bike ride north to Calistoga or south to the towns of Yountville and Napa. One day, we loaded our rented bikes in the car and drove to Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley where we biked up Dry Creek Road to the stunning Warm Springs Dam and beaches, and back on West Dry Creek Road. There was little traffic on the roads, but lots of activity in the vineyards, and the sun shone kindly for the four-hour ride. (We rented bikes from St. Helena Cyclery on Main Street.  Hybrid “comfort” bikes cost $35/day; road bikes are $65/day. Bike route maps are available, as is delivery for an added charge.)

Another day we parked in Yountville’s Vintage Marketplace, biked south to Napa, then climbed Mount Veeder Road that snakes past a bunch of wineries including Hess and Mt. Veeder, crests atop the Oakville Grade, then sends riders flying down Napa Valley's Dry Creek Road. 

In between bike rides and walks on Meadowood’s enchanting walking trail, there were memorable meals at Bottega, Bardessono and the resort’s Restaurant where chef Christopher Kostow blew me away with crispy artichokes served with “Molten Parmesan Tortellini” and tiny lamb noisettes, marinated in the citrusy herb mixture known as chermoula, and served with wisps of date and eggplant. Each course was paired with a small taste of an interesting wine…now that’s the way to taste wines in California’s wine country!

(Rooms at Meadowood start at about $450 but there are special packages available, such as the Bed & Breakfast package for $500 that includes upgraded studio accommodations,  a $50 credit for breakfast, and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.)

 

CRUISING FROM VENICE TO ROME ABOARD THE SEABOURN SPIRIT

This year, I went – kicking and screaming -- on my first cruise. 

For decades I’ve dodged all talk of cruises by friends and family. I didn’t want to be cooped up, I explained. I get seasick just looking at boats sloshing in a harbor.

But when my 87-year-old mother announced she was crossing theVenice-Rome cruise off her bucket list because she had no one to go with….well, hey…what’s a good daughter to do.

That’s how I found myself  in a Seabourn Spirit stateroom a few months ago, feeling the sway of the ship (even though we were still tied to the Venice dock) and wondering how the hell I was going to survive seven nights.

Not only did I survive, but I fell head over heels in love with the Seabourn line, with the huge personalities and remarkable efficiency of the crew, with food that rivaled that of America’s starred eateries, and with the giddy delight of watching miles of picture-perfect scenery glide past as I relaxed with my mother (right), sister and 23-year-old niece. 

Seabourn, as I now know, is one of the elite cruise lines. The guest count runs between 210 an d 400 (depending on the ship) and the pricing is all-inclusive. That means all food, beverages, alcoholic and otherwise, entertainment, and service (there’s no tipping). It’s not cheap – ignore the published prices and look for “deals” available if you book early or book last-minute. We paid about $350 per person per day; I met one couple who paid $250 per person per day by booking at the last minute.) It's definitely a splurge.  But with luxury hotel rooms in major cities going for 400 bucks a night and up (plus exorbitant taxes), we considered our Seabourn cruise  a great value.

After setting sail from Venice, we spent our first day alongside the Croatian island of Hvar, where we went on a walking tour, heard a men’s a cappella group sing in the courtyard of an ancient monastery, and hung out in the old, cobble-stoned port. The next day, Marina Day, was spent floating in the Adriatic, where we got to act like kids away at camp….playing with paddleboats, water skis and an inflated banana-like contraption that swirled us around in the sea while we screamed with glee.

Monopoli was the next stop. Of the several desirable shore excursions offered, we chose a walking tour of  Ostuni, the whitewashed town, chiseled into a hillside, that looks from a distance like a giant Dairy Queen ice cream cone. We also visited one of the oldest olive oil mills in Puglia, where we tasted oils from different olive varieties.

In the Sicilian hilltop town of Taormina, my mother and I poked around by ourselves, visiting the ancient Roman ampitheater, eating cannoli and drinking espresso at a sidewalk café, and strolling on the tiny beach below the town which we reached by a funicular. The Aeolian Islands offered a make-your-own pizza lunch and a bombastic show by the active volcano island, Stromboli. Our affable captain, Magnus Bengtsson, anchored the ship alongside the island after dark, so we could watch the fireworks while we dined on the open-air top deck. More pizza in Sorrento; a guided tour of the ruins of Pompei; and, finally, in Rome’s port of Civitavecchia, farewells to new friends, and hello to a new way of travel.

Memorable Morsels....My Favorite Foods of 2009

All the world loves a list. And food lovers especially love lists of good things to eat and drink. Here, in no particular order, are my most delicious food discoveries of 2009.

 

I had never heard of BARLEY RISOTTO before I stumbled upon it at a tiny mountain inn in the Villnöss valley of northern Italy. We had been hiking for several hours in the shadows of the Dolomite mountains when the weather turned blustery. We stopped for lunch in the GeislerAlm, a chalet that looked like Heidi should be peeking out the window, where we were treated to this unforgettable “risotto” made with barley, onions, garlic, multi-colored confetti of bell peppers, gorgonzola cheese and ribbons of arugula. A beer and a slab of apple strudel with whipped cream further fortified us for the rest of the day’s hike.

 

I have a tendency to fuss the most over chef Sean O’Toole’s dessert of BRETON SHORTCAKE, Oregon huckleberries and fresh ginger ice cream. And, indeed, this dessert of  lemon-spritzed berries and slightly undercooked Sablee Breton (instead of making little cookies with the dough, O’Toole makes a loaf, then sautes each slice in butter) was amazing. But  the rest of our dinner at  the new Bardessono hotel in Napa was equally impressive and one of top favorites of the year: Alaskan halibut with whole Brussels sprouts sauteed with julienne of  young ginger and Meyer lemon skin, and moistened with Perigord truffle vinaigrette; and roasted pork loin with a warm bean salad, buttery, nutty La Ratte potatoes and a glossy mustard sauce.

At Sapphire Laguna in Laguna Beach, CREME BRULEE often comes as a tantalizing trio (pictured here). During a holiday lunch on the restaurant’s sunny, flower-festooned terrace, chef Azmin Ghahreman‘s threesome included delectable orange-chocolate, fresh strawberry, and, my favorite, Chai Tea crème brulee. Sweet and sassy, with a crackly sugar crust, it was an exciting modern riff on an old classic.

Elegant. Ethereal. That’s the GOAT CHEESE MOUSSE at Skopik & Lohn in Vienna, Austria. I’m guessing the trick is the whipped cream that’s folded in, though the fresh local goat cheese and gingered red bell pepper chutney certainly deserve credit too.  

TUNA TARTARE is like the little black cocktail dress. Dress it up, dress it down, it’s always in style. My favorite in 2009 was at Market, Del Mar where chef Carl Schroeder accessorized the silken cubes with minted farmers market apples, diced chilies, ginger-spiked aioli and curry vinaigrette.

 Three months after my first-ever CRUISE experience -- on the Seabourn Spirit -- I’m still in awe of chef Bjoern Wassmuth’s (left) performance. Crispy corn-crusted prawns with fennel slaw and romesco sauce;  red carrot and curry potage with shrimp dumpings; warm ricotta and potato ravioli in truffle butter; chilled  corn and lemongrass soup with lobster salad and spicy shrimp oil; swordfish Sicilian style with  chili, capers, olives and basil...and much more. Each dish was picture-perfect and served by an attractive and amiable staff.

The menu at Fig in Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar Hotel calls it SPINACH RISOTTO. I call it Spectacular.The first sensation was butter.  Sweet, creamy, luxurious, remarkably rich.
Next came the intoxicating aroma of anise…and the flavor, too, in wisps of fresh tarragon.
Then there was one perfect spring pea…a tiny carrot that tasted like it had just been pulled from the garden…a baby mushroom as smooth as, well, a baby’s cheek…two lithe asparagus spears, one green, one white. And, finally, rice.  Each grain of Carnaroli cooked a point and imbued with all the summer flavors playing together on the plate. 

The world's going bonkers over BOURBON these days.  And anyone who tastes the Kentucky Tuxedo concocted by bartender David Nelson at Spur Gastropub in Seattle will be happy to jump on the bandwagon. A marriage of Bulleit Bourbon, Sherry, homemade lavender syrup and homemade orange bitters, is smooth and elegant, with a come-hither aroma and layers of flavor.

Every June, German and Austrian restaurants become a raucous celebration of WHITE ASPARAGUS. At Glacis Beisl in Vienna, Austria the pale, slender stalks even end up in dessert – as three plump clouds of mousse (right) floating on a rich, condensed sauce of berry coulis accented with aged balsamic vinegar.  A shower of powdered sugar and a few ripe strawberries and raspberries completed the fascinating sweet-vegetal creation. 

Deftly sauteed SCALLOPS, at Seattle’s new Anchovies & Olives restaurant, were sublime on their own, nothing short of genius when garnished with roasted nubbins of eggplant, cauliflower, pine nuts and red bell pepper puree. And that was just one of the many dishes that knocked my socks off at the newest eatery from super-chef Ethan Stowell.

BURRATA -- This voluptuous mass of mozzarella and fresh cream, dreamed up a century ago by some dairy farmers in Puglia, Italy, took the foodie world by storm in 2009.

• At Bottega in Napa Valley, it was accompanied by butter-blessed cubes of roasted butternut squash mingled with chewy bits of mushroom and soft, golden shallot shards, and moistened with a subtle brown butter vinaigrette. Oh, yes, balsamic caviar – made by reducing the vinegar, “jell-ing” it, and dicing it into weensy baubles -- crowned the creation.

• The creamy-dreamy cheese gets yet another stamp in its passport when young Boston chef Will Gilson dusts it with Za’atar, drizzles it with lemon oil and teams it with a sassy spiced date puree. Za”atar is a popular spice in the Middle East where it usually consists of dried thyme, oregano, sumac and cumin, all crushed together with toasted sesame seeds and salt. Gilson is chef-owner of Garden in the Cellar near Harvard Square, Cambridge.

• Warm Burrata with Beets and Crushed Marcona Almonds won me over at Scampo in Boston where celeb chef Lydia Shire also pairs the cheese with pistachios and a hot leek tart, and makes a memorable BLT, too.

 

TRES LECHE CAKE, from the A. R. Valentien kitchen of Torrey Pines Lodge Executive Chef Jeff Jackson, is a sublime creation of sponge cake soaked in condensed milk, whole milk and heavy cream. A popular dish on the potluck and church-social circuit, this traditional Latin American dessert (translation: three milks) is often soggy, overly sweet and piled high with frosting. But this version, by pastry chef John Harmeyer, is an elegant, individual, dome-shaped package with a deliriously smooth, moist texture and a rich, caramelized creamy taste. Topped with cinnamon-scented whipped cream and tangy pomegranate seeds, it’s served with a fresh quince-apple puree and a weensy poached apple.

Not every great dish of 2009 was at a restaurant; some were in my own kitchen.  I loved the FETTUCCINE with Summer Corn, Bacon, and Shiitake Mushrooms  from New York City chef Andrew Carmellini’s new book “Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food.” The recipe is an easy, elegant, supremely satisfying creation that screams “summer” while offering the high-level comfort-quotient of winter foods.

 

 LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

• Broccoli rabe, sauted with EVOO and teamed with crisp polenta croutons at Scampo, Boston.

• Fresh baby corn, still in their husks, were roasted and spritzed with citrusy yuzu-butter. Roasted cauliflower rosettes had a sweet subtle, lightly caramelized flavor accentuated by a barely-there sauce of pureed jalapenos, garlic, Japanese vinegar and discreet grapeseed oil. I went to NOBU San Diego to feast on the restaurant’s signature miso-marinated black cod, but I found myself spellbound by the elegance and effortlessness of these two simple vegetable dishes from the brick oven.

• There are a lot of good reasons to visit Cambridge, Massachusetts. But only one of them involves oatmeal, crystallized ginger, plump sun-dried cherries, toasted walnuts and pecans. That would be the oatmeal cookie at Hi-Rise Bread Company.

• At Chez Papa Resto in San Francisco, chef David Bazirgan does all the big things right. But somehow it’s the little things -- pommes frites with spunky aïoli  and a decadent potato & fennel gratin Dauphinois – that bowled me.

• What can you say about a spiedini with crusty grilled hunks of rustic house-baked bread and fresh creamy mozzarella, all drenched with an in-your-face anchovy-herb olive oil?  More, please?  At Tin Table, Seattle.

 

Seafood and Cheese: Not Always a No-No

For years I’ve heard from Italian cookbooks, chefs and servers that one should never eat cheese with seafood. Ask for a sprinkle of Parmesan on your spaghetti alle vongole in any serious Italian restaurant and you’re likely to get a look that’ll wilt your escarole.

But, clearly, this is not a black-and-white issue.

 

Earlier this week, I dined at Kapi Kapi, a magical restaurant on the road between Quepos and Manuel Antonio on Costa Rica’s western shore. Set into a leafy hollow, the restaurant fairly floats on multiple levels, fully exposed to the air, and wrapped in tropical plants and flowers. Flickering candles provide the lighting. The cuisine consists of local ingredients, deftly seasoned with Thai, creole and Mediterranean spices, and presented as dishes that mesh perfectly with the warm, balmy environment.

The special of the night was wahoo, also known as ono in Hawaii. Though I was inclined to order the macadamia nut-crusted mahi mahi – which I had eaten on my last visit and loved, I couldn’t ignore our server’s impassioned plea to try the wahoo special. “It’s served with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and fried farmer’s cheese,” he exclaimed. Farmer’s cheese?, you ask incredulously. My sentiments exactly.

Much to my amazement the fish and cheese were an admirable pair. “It’s the fastest swimmer in the ocean,” said Kapi Kapi chef Darren Remy, by way of explaining the fish’s firm, meaty and flavorful flesh. Indeed, good wahoo is almost like a hunk o’ steak, except this hunk is packed with prized Omega-3 fatty acids.  And it’s this meatiness that makes wahoo a fitting partner for the cheese.

Remy first sauteed three medallions of wahoo in clarified butter with salt and pepper, then perched them atop a slab of local queso fresco (fresh white, semi-soft cheese) that he had dipped in flour, egg and panko crumbs, then pan-fried. For color and sass on the side, there were cherry tomatoes, oven-roasted slowly with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and thyme.

“This Costa Rican cheese is very pure, mild, almost like tofu,” Remy went on.  “It’s a perfect canvas for the fish and the garnish.”

Remy’s menu also includes crispy phyllo seafood “cigars” served with wasabi aioli; peppercorn seared ahi with Thai green papaya salad;  lobster ravioli with saffron beurre blanc; and slow-braised chicken with chipotle citrus glaze.

There are triumphs on the dessert menu, too, including a pineapple upside-down cake with rum raisin ice cream and the Mandarin Lime Pie, pictured here, that's a creamy, cloud-like wonder in a macadamia nut crust.

 

Seattle Celebrates the Golden Age of Cocktails

Becherovka.  Sounds to me like a dance done at Slavic weddings.  Or maybe a primitive music instrument.

But in fact, Becherovka is a prized alcoholic drink, made in Karlovy Vary (aka Karlsbad) in the Czech Republic, from anise seed, cinnamon and a secret mash of 32 herbs. It’s showing up a lot these days at upscale bars such as Tavern Law, the popular new bar/lounge/speakeasy in Seattle.

Billed as a digestif in its homeland (meaning it aids digestion after a heavy dinner), the liquor has a lively, herbaceous flavor and a soft golden color. Czechs usually drink the stuff straight up over ice, but on occasion they enjoy a popular drink of Becherovka and tonic water that’s called a “beton.” Since that translates into English as “concrete,” I’m not rushing out to try it.

A far more palatable choice is Tavern Law’s “Eastern Waterfront,” a fragrant mingling of gin, Peychaud’s Bitters, Martini & Rossi white vermouth and Becherovka. It’s one of the many fascinating cocktails dreamed up by the eatery’s talented bartender/mixologist David Nelson (pictured here). On the same night that he splashed Becherovka into my son Nicholas’ cocktail, Nelson swirled together for me two types of rum (Rhum Agricole and blackstrap), allspice liqueur, lime juice, Chartreuse  and Demerara sugar. Though it didn’t have a name yet, the “work-in-progress” was an aromatic and warmly satisfying cocktail, perfect for sipping while the rain drummed the sidewalks in front of the atmospheric new saloon.

(Since that night, Nelson has christened the drink “The Indecent Monk,” a reference to the French monastery where the liqueur was originally produced and the green-brown color of the monks’ robes.)

 

Tavern Law is the baby sister of Spur Gastropub, one of Seattle’s trend-setting bistros. (This year Food & Wine magazine called it one of the country’s best gastropubs.) Open just since early fall, the Tavern is part of the nostalgia-driven “speakeasy” mini-craze afoot in the country. (A New York Times article earlier this year wrote of the hidden doors, darkened stairwells and pre-Prohibition brews.) From the sidewalk, there’s just an easily-missed façade, with tall frosted glass windows and a non-descript door. But step inside and you’re enveloped in instant warmth and quiet energy, thanks to dark paneled walls, a long, curvy vintage bar, soft lighting and a spirited buzz from patrons who are drinking and having fun as opposed to drinking to have fun.  (A Seattle Times restaurant reviewer called Tavern Law “a thinking drinker’s watering hole.”)

If this room were the whole operation, I’d be satisfied. But, in keeping with the speakeasy “theme,” there’s also a “secret” upstairs room, accessed through an old bank vault door (call for entry on an antique phone) and up a darkened staircase.

However, this is not just a Disneyland-with-Dewar’s. Tavern Law offers an exceptional array of  handmade cocktails (using Nelson’s fresh squeezed juices and housemade syrups, tinctures and bitters), and a small but stellar menu of cod fritters, braised short ribs, baby beet salad, truffled risotto and the like, from the dynamic duo of Brian McCracken and Dana Tough, who also man the stoves at Spur. (This photo of a classic Julep is by Kristin Zwiers.)

A quick word about its name. Tavern Law is a nod to the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law, passed by Congress in 1832, which allowed inns and saloons to serve alcoholic beverages without requiring customers to rent a room for the night, effectively legalizing drinking. The “Golden Age” of cocktails came to an abrupt end in 1919 when the Volstead Act outlawed the production and possession of alcoholic beverages.

Seattle’s Tavern Law successfully invokes the glory days of American bartending while also offering the best food, drink, talent and know-how of the new millennium.

It's located at 1406 12th Avenue, Seattle; 206.322.9734.

In Praise of Blondie Sundaes...and Belford Bistro

What donuts are to Homer Simpson, marshmallow is to me. I grew up in Boston on jars of Durkee-Mower’s Marshmallow Fluff, slathering it on peanut butter sandwiches, swirling it in homemade fudge, glopping it into hot chocolate, and, when I was bored or down-in-the-dumps, spooning it straight from the chunky glass jar.

 

All this may account partially for my falling in love with Belford Bistro last weekend.  This charming neighborhood café in Belford, New Jersey serves up a Blondie Sundae --topped with a craggy mount of homemade, bruleed marshmallow – that is awesome.  Underneath the voluminous cap hovers homemade peanut butter ice cream studded with chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and a dense, brown-sugar brownie. It’s quintessential Americana, comfort food with class.

But I said partially. There are plenty of other reasons why I was smitten by this low-key, out-of-the-way eatery.

Opened about two years ago by husband-wife chef team Kurt Bomberger  and Crista Trovato, Belford Bistro is tucked away in a non-descript strip mall in Belford (population: less than 1,500) in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Though the façade may, charitably, be called non-descript, the interior is warm and welcoming, with well-spaced tables, a partially-open kitchen and a quiet sense of style.

That’s reason #1.

Then there’s the fact that it’s BYOB, with no corkage charge. Bomberger explained to me why it’s easier or wiser or more profitable or whatever for them to skip the liquor license, but honestly I was too busy eating to absorb his whole story. All you really need to know is that you can bring exactly the wine you’re craving that night, and pay Costco prices instead of those on a (traditionally) inflated wine list.

Reasons 3 thru 32 are on the menu.

We were a party of eight and each dish we ordered was cleverly conceived and skillfully executed. Bomberger and Trovato (who, by the way, met while they were both cooking at Windows on the World) are creative cooks who bring out the best in their fine ingredients without falling into the overkill mode of so many of today’s chefs.  (The two are also veterans of New York City’s Aquavit, Gramercy Tavern and Ocean Grill.)

The Bistro offers New American cuisine, both familiar fare (fresh pappardelle with Bolognese sauce) and trendy takes (bacon-wrapped scallops on fresh horseradish fingerling potato salad). There’s a simple ground sirloin burger on a brioche roll and a more involved “signature dish” of seared day boat scallops nestled on truffle butter-blessed risotto with melted leeks and crisp asparagus spears (pictured here).

Boneless short ribs are seared and slowly coaxed to complete tenderness in Cabernet wine and veal stock, then served atop a mix of homemade gnocchi, roasted butternut squash, butter and herbs. A bit of spinach and toasted pine nuts completes the pretty picture.

Hefty, well-seasoned crab cakes are served with lemon scallion aioli and a salad of mache and fresh herbs. Salads are varied – goat cheese, Boston Bibb, "Duck Bistro "with arugula, peanut brittle and miso vinaigrette – and delicious.

Belford Bistro offers excellent value.  Substantial first courses – including seared tuna sashimi and five-cheese agnolotti – average $12; well-garnished entrees run from $12 to about $26/$27. Portions are large enough for leftovers; many appetizers are suitable as entrée.

For those of you whose teeth are still aching from my description of the Blondie Sundae, the Bistro does offer some more, er, restrained desserts including an elegant espresso chocolate mousse, warm apple spice cake with caramel gelato and Tahitian vanilla crème brulee.

It’s the possibility of finding a place like Belford Bistro – the treasured diamond in the rough -- that keeps professional restaurant critics sane, and game for another meal day after day after day.

Belford Bistro is located at  870 Main Street; (732) 495-8151.

Seattle Forecast: Hot Tables and Awesome Eats

Silly people talk about the weather in Seattle. The smart ones talk about the food.

 

Every time I visit the city I am blown away by the talent and creativity of its chefs and restaurateurs and the vitality of the dining scene. Even in the current shaky economic environment, new eateries are opening and old ones are jammed with loyal fans.

While visiting our son there recently, I visited two new (2009) and noteworthy restaurants, the kind of eateries that make me want to slap myself upside the head and shout “Why the heck can’t every city have food and service and value and charm like this?”

Anchovies & Olives is the latest tour de force of Ethan Stowell, a trend-setting chef/restaurateur who landed on the culinary map when he opened Union in downtown Seattle in 2003. Together with his wife Angela and business partner Patric Gabre-Kidan, he went on to create the effervescent Tavolata in Belltown and the simply hip How To Cook a Wolf in Queen Anne, each a perfect match for the neighborhood’s spirit.

Anchovies & Olives is another savvy marriage. In a rave review, The Seattle Times said the restaurant brings “a refined edginess to the burgeoning dining scene on the Pike/Pine periphery of Capitol Hill." (Photos by Geoffrey Smith.)

A&O’s “décor” revolves around the kitchen, a front-and-center presence that greets you at the door and reaches out  – with sizzling pans, hissing pots and general “we-love-our-job” attitude – all the way to those sitting at the cozy back-corner bar.

The kitchen’s prominence is appropriate…because A&O is very serious about food, specifically seafood with an Italian temperament. Food that’s unselfconsciously creative, refined, in sync with the season, and oh-so-delicious.

I flipped over the raw hamachi, its pale slivers accented with tiny bits of grapefruit, plump currants and pink peppercorns; and the escolar crudo (right), which was brilliantly teamed with tiny dice of cucumber and apple, punched up with spicy coppa sausage and cooled down with flecks of fresh mint.

A six-pack of raw oysters (below) – Kumamoto, Virginica and Chelsea Gem –was impressive; even more impressive were the spectacularly light fried oysters served with lemon aioli.

Three or four seafood entrees are offered each night, along with a half-dozen or so pasta dishes and a couple of salads. On the night we visited, poached haddock took a star turn in an al dente risotto brightened with basil and saffron.  Deftly sauteed scallops, sublime on their own, were nothing short of genius with nubbins of eggplant, cauliflower, pine nuts and red bell pepper puree. And the kitchen’s housemade agnolotti -- plump pillows of dough hugging a fragrant mix of just-picked chanterelles and Manila clams – were moistened with a ham-steeped broth that made us forget the cold, blustery weather outside.

On the night I visited there was but one dish that didn’t feature seafood. But when that dish is a savory ragout of fall-apart-tender pork cheek, Brussels sprouts and onion mostarda, tossed with tongue-tickling strozzapretti pasta, one dish is all you need.

A&O’s wine list is short but interesting. Service is low-key, friendly and knowledgeable. The final tab is remarkably gentle for such first-rate fare. Oysters are $3 each; a very good salad of beets, arugula and pistachios is $9. Main “plates” and pasta dishes average $14. A three-course prix-fixe, with ample choices, is $30.

Anchovies & Olives is located at 1550 15^th Avenue in Seattle’s Capitol Hill.; 206-838-8080.

 

The Tin Table is the other newcomer that impressed. This captivating spot, also in the super-trendy Pike/Pine area,  has the unlikely address of “second floor” in the historic brick Odd Fellows Hall building. (Photo by Ernest Stepp.) To reach it you navigate a deserted foyer, a wide, creaking set of stairs, and a long, creaking wood-planked corridor that also leads to the from-another-era Century Ballroom. But once inside the restaurant's door, you’re wrapped in a warm, stylish, slightly funky aura and welcomed heartily by the hospitable staff.

That I am still salivating over the Brussels sprouts with pancetta and brown butter, and the handsome tuna burger served with herbed greens, shredded cabbage and spicy mustard is a true testament to the quality of food here. We visited on Halloween night and the joint was jumping with Lady Gagas,  Reno 911 sheriffs, Mexican wrestlers, and feeble attempts at Balloon Boy. The poor kitchen had a lot of competition for our attention, but the food was easily up to the task.

Risotto with wild chanterelle mushrooms had an inviting earthy aroma and a nutty, buttery taste. The fresh, sweet flavor of a Dungeness crab cake was punched up with andouille sausage and roasted corn. And a deceptively simple spiedini, or skewer, turned out to be the ultimate comfort food – chunks of rustic house-baked bread and fresh creamy mozzarella, all drenched with an in-your-face anchovy-herb olive oil.

The menu is divided into Nibbles (the shoestring potatoes dusted with truffle salt were flying out of the kitchen); Garden (I loved the arugula salad with roasted golden beets, Grana Padana and a sherry vinaigrette); Sea (the mahi mahi fish tacos with achiote seem to be legendary even though the place has only been open a few months); and Range (it was tough to pass up something called a Floozy Burger).

Tin Table prices are another part of the happy story. Where else are you going to find appetizers such as salt cod fritters with roasted garlic sauce for five bucks? Where else pan-seared halibut “On Melting Early Girl Tomatoes and Lacinato Kale” for just $15? (No fair Seattle people answering this question….they seem to have plenty of places offering great food and great value.) A roasted beet salad with frisee, pine nuts, currants and marinated feta cheese. Eight dollars. Reeeeallly?

The Tin Table is located at 915 E. Pine Street in Seattle; 206-324-7263.

 

DO-IT-YOURSELF: Great Restaurant Dishes at Home

There’s just one thing better than stumbling upon an out-of-this-world dish while vacationing in some far-flung city or village.

And that’s getting the recipe for the dish so you can re-create it at home whenever you want.

Over the weekend, I translated one of those recipes from German into English and tested it in my kitchen using ounces and tablespoons instead of grams and Esslöffel.  The charming  servers, candlelit sidewalk tables and mid-summer-night neighborhood scene at Restaurant Skopik & Lohn in Vienna, Austria were missing.

But the Ziegenkäsemousse mit Rot Paprika Chutney (translation: Goat Cheese Mousse with Red Bell Pepper Chutney) tasted every bit as good. (This photo was taken in June when the chutney featured yellow cherry tomatoes and pears.) I'm convinced that the whipped cream in the recipe is the key ingredient. Nobody does whipped cream like the Viennese do whipped cream.

Next week I’ll be teaching a cooking class at Great News! Discount Cookware and Cooking School  in Pacific Beach (858-270-1582). The theme of the class: The best restaurant recipes I’ve discovered in my 30 years as a food critic. Skopik & Lohn's sensational goat cheese mousse will be among them. Class members get to enjoy all the finished dishes with a glass of wine.

This is a perfect hors d’oeuvre or appetizer for Thanksgiving Day….just a little nosh that perks up the palate but leaves plenty of room for the main attraction.

 

Goat Cheese Mousse with Gingered Red Bell Pepper Chutney

SKOPIK & LOHN, Vienna, Austria

Makes about 4 cups

6 ounces goats milk yogurt

4 ounces quark (Vermont Butter & Cheese Quark is available at Whole Foods)

2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

6 ounces heavy cream, whipped

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons snipped chives

1 envelope gelatin

½ cup water

Sprinkle the gelatin over ½ cup water in a microwavable cup; let sit for 5 minutes. Then place cup in microwave for 10 seconds to warm slightly. Stir to be sure there are no crystals remaining.

In a large bowl, blend the quark, yogurt and mashed goat cheese with an electric mixer at low speed or with a whisk. Add the chives and salt and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Serve two small, egg-shaped portions on each appetizer plate, along with a spoonful of chutney (follows) and thin toasts or crisped pita bread. The mousse can also be mounded into one serving bowl and served with crackers and crudités.

Gingered Red Bell Pepper Chutney

Makes about 1 cup

3 red bell peppers, divided use

2-3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, divided use

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

4 ounces water

1 clove garlic, minced

Pinch salt

Leaves from 2 stems fresh thyme

1 tablespoon sugar

Wash, dry, seed and chop the 3 bell peppers into approximate ¼-inch cubes. Place the cubes from 2 of the peppers in a small, heavy saucepan along with 1-2 tablespoons of the grated ginger, balsamic vinegar, water, minced garlic, salt, thyme leaves and sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook slowly until the peppers are very soft and almost all the liquid is evaporated, about 25 minutes.

Add the remaining cubed bell pepper and cook 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and add the remaining grated ginger to taste. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Re-thinking the Cuisine of Venice....Dishes to Go Back For

My post from a couple weeks ago about the abysmal state of dining in Venice, Italy drew some interesting responses from folks who had actually dined quite well in Venice, thank you very much.

 

One longtime colleague of mine, Scott Joseph, who was restaurant critic for the Orlando Sentinel before launching his own Web site, had me drooling over a plate of fritti -- the lightly breaded and fried wisps of "whatever" that the Italians do so well. In this case, it was breaded and fried wisps of a delicate local fish. Joseph wrote that Victor and Marcella Hazan of cookbook and cooking school fame, had taken him to Fiascheterria Toscana for this memorable treat. I’m kicking myself that I missed it. (Coincidentally, we did find an extraordinary fritto misto on our last night in Rome at Ristorante Matricianella.  A rolled paper cone was piled with bits of broccoli, artichoke, potato balls, mozzarella and more, each morsel wondrously light and delicious.)

Another friend sent me a clipping, from the Boston Globe, that raved about a grilled monkfish dish at Antica Locanda Montin. This family-run eatery in the  Dorsoduro neighborhood has been in business since 1950.  Neither the decor (pictured below) nor the  monkfish preparation has changed in the past 30 years or so. The story’s author, Joan Wilder, describes how the  meaty tail of the fish (which some fans swear tastes like lobster) is grilled with lots of olive oil, salt and pepper. I’ve always been a monkfish fan, so I’m  kicking myself about this miss, too.

 

Lastly, I appreciated the Comment on my post from San Diegan Lisa Wilson-Wirth who  raved about  La Calcina, “an extraordinary B&B”  that’s owned by La Piscina, one of the (pretty good) restaurants that we did find in Venice. During dinner on the restaurant terrace (on the magical Zattere waterfront), I remarked that La Calcina looked very charming but I knew nothing about it.  Now I know where I’ll stay when I return to the city called La Serenissima to eat all the good food I seem to have missed.

 

What I Did on My (Late-Summer) Vacation

 Anyone who looks at the date of my last post might think I’ve been loafing. Not so.

In fact, the last three weeks have been a whirlwind of  eating and drinking, interviewing and reviewing, cooking and cruising (on the Seaborn Spirit), touring (did you know they found 35 bakeries and 82 carbonized loaves of bread in the ruins of Pompeii?), taking classes (including one by Seabourn chef Björn  Wassmuth, whose elegant take on the lemon tart is pictured here), testing recipes, and tasting…everything from seasonal mushrooms, olive oils and quinoa to thirty-minute pasta dishes, Champagne cocktails and inexpensive Merlots from the Friuli-Venezia area

I’ll be sharing all of this and more in the coming days.

 

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Venice: In Search of a Great Meal

What’s with the food in Venice?  Why is it that a Conde Nast article about dining in Venice starts out, effectively, “It’s a lot easier to find bad food in Venice than good?” Why is it that my requests to fellow food writers about their favorite restaurants in Venice brought zero responses? How can one city in a country renowned for its cuisine offer such lackluster fare?

 

 Shortly after I arrived in this watery wonderland two days ago, I set out to scout the dining scene. In three hours of brisk walking (and menu checking) I found only two places where I’d considering dining. (Results were based on my earlier research of food magazines and newspaper articles, the creativity of the menu on display, and the smells emanating from the establishment.)

 

What I did find plenty of was plebian eateries advertising “Tourist Menus” – a catch-all term for spaghetti with marinara sauce followed by roast chicken.  The most jarring example of this phenomenon was a place not far from Saint Mark’s Square called Conca D’Oro, where a sandwich board in front proclaimed a Combo Plate of  “fajitas + fries + coffee.” Downright scary. (I should also add that I've visited Venice twice before and never found an exciting dining experience on those occasions either, though snacks at the Cipriani Bar were very good.)

 

For dinner the first night, we chose La Piscina on the Zattere, a spectacular promenade along the sea just a stone’s throw from the Accademia area.  I figured, heck, if the food isn’t going to be great, you might as well go for a great setting. And, indeed, La Piscina is that.

 

Dinner consisted of an arugula salad that was rather “weedy” (my term for too many tough stems) and two fairly average pasta dishes that became better than average when combined. My mother’s fusilli with cherry tomatoes, garlic and chili flakes was overly spiced; my lasagna with gorgonzola and zucchini was overly rich and rather bland. Together, though, they managed to be a satisfying dinner.

 

Last night we found more of the same at Ristorante al Giglio. Presentable food  -- though the dishes featuring the scampi and scallops that are specialties of Venice contained only microscopic pieces of each. But nothing to sigh over. (I did make a lovely wine discovery, though. More about that in a later post.)

 

Located in a large, airy campo (square) near the famed La Fenice Teatro, Giglio’s large outdoor seating area provides plenty of ambiance. It was particularly captivating on a moonlit night with temperatures in the low ‘70s.

One more night to go. I have recommendations from our hotel's front desk for a place where the Mayor of Venice eats; and from an Orient-Express publication for the eatery favored by the current Italian President. In short, I'm desperate. If anyone out there has a good suggestion, fire it off to me.